diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 8d9fa9a11f4664cfc6a94e8c276b15b419c75922..143026dbebce55c152889c6d3a06b08d4f488d7f 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@
 //#define FIX_CREND_FIX_POINT_HRTF_FILE_FORMAT          /* Orange issue 1031 : new fix point hrtf binary file format */
 //#define FIX_CREND_SIMPLIFY_CODE                         /* Ora : simplify line code in crend */
 #define FLOAT_FIX_POINT_HRTF_FILE_FORMAT                /* allows reading floation or fix point hrtf binary file format */
+#define FIX_1138_SBA_EXT_ERROR_PRINTOUT                 /* VA: issue 1138: Fix SBA EXT output call of audioCfg2channels() */
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
 
diff --git a/lib_rend/ivas_output_init.c b/lib_rend/ivas_output_init.c
index 2105b76c3d6372133caed036cc9e0326b745fc8a..a78b7fe2c38c641d12af097f81b50c28dff64f94 100644
--- a/lib_rend/ivas_output_init.c
+++ b/lib_rend/ivas_output_init.c
@@ -304,7 +304,11 @@ int16_t ivas_get_nchan_buffers_dec(
         {
             nchan_out_buff = max( nchan_out_buff, st_ivas->hOutSetup.nchan_out_woLFE + st_ivas->hOutSetup.num_lfe );
         }
+#ifdef FIX_1138_SBA_EXT_ERROR_PRINTOUT
+        else if ( output_config != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_EXTERNAL )
+#else
         else
+#endif
         {
             nchan_out_buff = max( audioCfg2channels( st_ivas->transport_config ), audioCfg2channels( st_ivas->intern_config ) );
             nchan_out_buff = max( nchan_out_buff, audioCfg2channels( output_config ) );